Kikihia horologium
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Kikihia horologium, commonly known as the clock cicada, is a species of cicada that is endemic to New Zealand. This species was first described by Charles Fleming in 1984. Kikihia horologium is characterised by its bright green colouration with distinct dark markings on the head. A key identification feature is a yellow line running down the head and a silver stripe atop the abdomen. The venter, or underside, is entirely green. The mesonotum, or middle section of the thorax, has posterior spots that are distinct from the outer diamond-shaped markings.
Cicadas are classified as pterygote, or winged, insects within the subclass Exopterygota, meaning they undergo hemimetabolous, or incomplete, metamorphosis. This process results in gradually developing adult features with each moult. Nymphs and adults of cicadas exhibit significant morphological differences. Nymphs, which are wingless, have powerful forelegs adapted for digging, a single claw per tarsus and underdeveloped wing buds. In contrast, adult cicadas possess long, slender legs, two claws per tarsus, and fully-formed wings.
Kikihia species, like many other cicada species in New Zealand, are distinguished by their... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Clock Cicada sighting in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 20th most-seen of the 60 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December and January
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Clock Cicada in Arthur's Pass National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to November, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Clock Cicada sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Arthur's Pass National Park, in our data
Arthur's Pass National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Clock Cicada sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same order: Hemiptera
The closest relatives of the Clock Cicada that you can see in Arthur's Pass National Park (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are Forest Shield Bug (about 20%), Brown Soldier Bug (about 10%) and Andes maculifrons (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Clock Cicada is recorded against all the insects logged in Arthur's Pass National Park (9 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
